Second Sunday of Easter

Title

Thomas the Believer

Outline

1. Some time ago I read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

Thomas Covenant does not believe in God, but is transported into another world where he comes to believe

And while the books have some very dark places that I would not recommend, in the end there is an explanation of God’s allowing evil that has stuck with me

However, our Thomas is not like that - he is Thomas the believer

2. We first meet Thomas the Twin in John 11

They have learned that Lazarus is sick and Jesus has proposed going to see him.

The disciples protest that that would be suicide, for the Jews had tried to kill Jesus

Jesus notes that Lazarus is dead but that he will go anyway

Thomas comments, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Perhaps it is a play on Lazarus’ death and Jesus’ danger, but Thomas is committed to go with Jesus, even if it means death. He looks facts in the face.

3. We then meet Thomas in the upper room after Jesus says that he is going somewhere, but that they knew the way

Thomas protests, “We do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Again clear headed.

Jesus responds, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” That must have confused Thomas, for it identifies the way with a person, with Jesus, so it is not a way one can know like the Tao, the Eightfold Path, or a road map.

4. Finally we have Thomas again in the upper room with the other 10.

He has refused to believe their word that they had seen Jesus for they had no concrete evidence

Now Jesus appears, speaks peace, and, as if he had overheard Thomas’ demand offers the very evidence that Thomas had demanded. We never hear that Thomas actually touched Jesus; probably the presence was enough. He comes out with the strongest Christological confession in the Gospel: “My Lord and my God!” No one else has said this yet in John.

5. What does Thomas call us to in this commitment to Jesus?

He calls us to forsaking the world and its values: “whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John connects this to the keeping of his commandments.

No longer does sense perception control him or even worldly loyalty, but he has learned that Jesus is the way the truth and the life, for he is God.

And that frees him from the security of the world, for he will go to Mesopotamia and perhaps to India for Jesus and not look back.

It is like the early disciples who no longer needed this-world security but shared in the family; it was not a “primitive communism” or “holy poverty” but a withdrawing from their “bank” (houses and lands they owned) each time a need arose in the family (imperfect tense).

Thomas who requires concrete evidence to believe - perhaps a miracle - believes when he encounters a presence and because that presence is ultimate, God, he is freed from all that is not ultimate.

The question for us is, as St John of the Cross wrote, whether we have left such sense perceptions - including spiritual ones - behind us in the dark night of the senses and have pursued the “one whom my soul loves” with Thomas until we experienced the presence?

Reading

First Reading

Acts 4:32–35 RSV2CE

Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not any one needy among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need.

Epistle

1 John 5:1–6 RSV2CE

Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the one begotten by him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood.

Gospel

John 20:19–31 RSV2CE

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “You have believed because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Notes